By Archibong Jeremiah
The Cross River State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade has just launched “Operations Akpakwu” to contain the rapid growth of crime in the State.
The State in recent times has become a safe haven for kidnapping and other crimes.
Personnel are drawn from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Civil Defence.
To enhance operations, the Governor handed over 100 patrol vehicles, ten power bikes and drones.
Speaking at the event, Ayade who was flanked by all the Service Commanders in the State, vowed to return the State, particularly Calabar, to the paradise it once was.
He said though statistics indicate that the State remains one of the safest in the country, he decried recent incidents of criminality, especially kidnappings in the State.
“Cross River State statistically remains the safest State in Nigeria, however as a State we are used to the culture of zero kidnapping, zero cultism and zero robbery.
“In recent past, there has been an increase in the number of crime within the Niger Delta and the country as a whole arising from the difficulty orchestrated by #EndSARS as well as COVID-19 which brought a general poverty and general hardship upon the entire world”, the Governor said.
According to him, “the instruction is very clear from Abuja, you must deal decisively with any form of criminality, you must deal decisively with any form of banditry, gangsterism, kidnapping of any form.
“Let this therefore be a strong message to every Cross Riverian and non indigenes alike, that as far as you are resident in Cross River State, today is the end of that criminality.
“Today is the end of armed robbery, banditry must end today. We have received very clear instructions from the Federal Government and I have supported and I stand strong with all my military men and the Police that they must comply with the obligations, the instructions and orders of the Inspector General of Police and the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces that Cross River State must be made safe.”
The Governor blamed the spate of kidnappings and robberies in the State on outsiders, citing the Police records of those arrested so far.
He stated that going forward every landlord in the State must account for every tenant as part of the regulations which he has signed into law under the Homeland security.
“We want to ask the federal government to explain to us why the Bakassi Strike Force has not been given proper restitution, rehabilitation and reintegration as they have done in other states.
“I plead in the name of God that the Bakassi Strike Force should be admitted into amnesty so that they can have their due and be properly trained so they can become citizens that will bring value to society.” He lamented.
Speaking on behalf of the Service Commanders in the State, the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Abdulkadir Jimoh commended Governor Ayade for his proactive steps in crime fighting and pledged the commitment of security agencies in the State to keeping Cross River safe free from criminals.
See pictures by Egbelo Edward Ntebri, Media aide to the Governor below.
Note: Updated with the Governor’s speech and more pictures.